Like Neon

Crowded House’s 1986 hit “Dont Dream It’s Over” is one hell of a song. Covered multiple times and featured in a long list of movies and television programs, it’s one of those rare songs that has become part of the cultural consciousness; you might not know who performed the song or even the proper title, but chances are that despite it being over twenty years old, you’ve heard it enough to recognise it.

I’m a great lover of a well-turned lyric, and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” has the distinction of its second line being my favorite lyric of all time. Who hasn’t, at some point, felt like they were trying to catch the deluge in a paper cup?

The music video has a lovely, ethereal feeling to it in keeping with the mood of the song, and won the award for Best New Artist at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. To give you an idea of the staying power of the song, when Crowded House broke up in 1996, the song charted in the UK again—Ten years after its initial release—and peaked at #25, two spots higher than its 1986 UK peak.